The Opportunity of 7 Billion Lifetimes

This week the United Nations officially recognized that the global population has now reached 7 billion people. Let that sink in for just a moment…

This historical milestone has already brought weeks of speculation about critical aspects of our lives on Earth—resources, waste, employment, communication, even about how we’ll all be able relate to each other.

And in the YouVersion community, hopefully we can recognize this event from an additional perspective: Opportunity. The fact that there are now 7 billion of us simply means that there are more people than ever who need to discover and connect with the life-giving power of God’s Word.

“When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.’”
—Matthew 9:36–38, New Living Translation

The YouVersion community is spread all over the world, representing diverse languages and cultures, each of us uniquely equipped to share God’s Word with the people around us. God’s story of love for people has already transformed our hearts and lives. Now, just imagine the unprecedented opportunity that God has entrusted to us: That together, we get to help others connect with that same story, perhaps for the first time. It’s awe-inspiring to consider that we could participate in becoming the most Bible-engaged generation of all time.